The typical user interface for virtual real estate tours is characterized by numerous inefficiencies that create navigation problems for users.
Potential home buyers suffer from a lack of real estate information and tools. The websites of many real estate brokerages generally provide some photographs of the properties in their listings. However, these websites remain surprisingly poor at providing comprehensive visual information about properties.
From the buyer's perspective, real estate websites suffer from numerous problems at present. First among these is the typical gallery of photographs of the property. Usually, the photographs are taken by the real estate agent or homeowner and are intended to highlight the positive attributes of the property while minimizing any negative attributes. Second, the photo galleries are usually navigated linearly, by proceeding from one two-dimensional photograph to the next. Lastly, the viewer must usually guess at which location within the property the photo is taken (for example, a photo of a master bedroom might leave the viewer guessing as to whether the master bedroom is in the front or back of the house, on the first floor or second floor, etc.).
There is a need for a system that overcomes limitations of the current user interface of real estate web sites, as well as providing additional benefits.